Foster is a transitive verb for encouraging the growth of something abstract -- a culture, a quality, a relationship, a mindset. It takes a direct object with no preposition in between, which is exactly where non-native speakers tend to slip, reaching for "foster for" or "foster to" the way they'd use "aim for" or "commit to."
The most natural pairings are foster a culture of [noun], foster [growth/innovation/collaboration], foster a sense of [belonging/community], and foster [relationships/talent].
Culture register: naming the quality the environment builds
"Foster" pairs naturally with "culture" or "environment" followed by "of" plus the quality being cultivated.
"Our leadership team is committed to fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, which in turn fosters a sense of belonging across the organization."
The "of" here belongs to "culture," not to "foster" itself -- foster stays a direct-object verb throughout; it's "culture of transparency," not "foster of transparency."
Growth and talent register: development without a preposition
Outside of "culture," foster attaches directly to nouns naming growth, capability, or mindset -- no preposition at all.
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That direct-object pattern is the whole rule: whatever comes right after "foster" is the thing being grown, with nothing in between.
What doesn't collocate
The clearest mistake is inserting a preposition: "we need to foster for better communication between the different silos" should be "foster better communication," with no "for." A related error is following "foster" with a "that" clause -- "the CEO wants to foster that the company grows by 10%" doesn't work; foster needs a noun phrase, such as "foster 10% growth." The second mistake is choosing the wrong kind of noun. Concrete, administrative things aren't fostered: deadlines are set, met, or extended; contracts are negotiated, signed, or drafted; meetings are held or chaired; a database is built. Even a measurable outcome like "a 15% increase in sales" is achieved or driven, not fostered -- you can foster the conditions that lead to it, but not the number itself.
Practice scenarios
Practice using foster in situations like:
- describing a culture or environment you're building, with "foster a culture of [quality]"
- naming a mindset or capability you want to grow, directly after "foster," with no preposition
- catching the instinct to add "for" or "to" after foster
Useful practice phrases:
- "We're committed to fostering a culture of [quality]."
- "[Program] aims to foster [growth/development/collaboration] among [group]."
- "[Practice] fosters the conditions for [outcome], even if it doesn't foster the outcome itself."
Foster only ever reaches directly for what it's growing -- no preposition stands between the verb and its object.
Aim it at a culture, a mindset, or a relationship, and the sentence reads like leadership language, not a translation.
Lyra Practice helps advanced non-native English professionals learn the nuance of high-value workplace expressions and practice using them in realistic scenarios, so their English sounds natural, precise, and senior at work. Try Lyra Practice.